Cheater
by bookwormtsb
Summary: '"Ginny.  Did you go off with someone else?"  His tone is so quiet, so caring but she can feel the blood rushing in her ears.  He knows.' Post-war Ginny and Harry trying to rekindle their romance.
1. Chapter 1

Cheater.

Ginny ran a shaking hand through her short flaming hair and caught it into a messy pony tail. With her free hand she wrapped a beige hair tie around her hair and shook her fringe out of her eyes. _Harry's coming round today. Be Calm. _ It could have easily been the hundredth time today she had repeated the mantra in her head. Rain slated against the crooked, leaded, leaking windows of the Burrow as she raced down the uneven staircase. Ginny tripped on the last stair and landed on the heel of her palms. Upon landing she darkly muttered something that suspiciously like it started with 'f' and ended with 'uck.' "Ginevra Molly Weasley!" Ginny raised her eyes and exhaled, blowing her short messy fringe out of her way to glare at her mother. "Don't glare at me either." Molly snapped before turning away to face the hob and with a flick of her wand three pots flew onto the blazing rings. Ginny stood up and dusted flecks of invisible dirt off her navy Hollyhead Harpies sweater. Molly turned back to her only daughter with a sigh as she took in the jet black jodhpurs, the peeking white vest, loose sweater and battered lace up trainers. "Dear, it's raining outside." Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed a slice of toast from the wooden kitchen island. "I need to let off some steam Mum." Ginny murmured and made for the door. An invisible hand grabbed the back of her top and dragged her back. She turned to her mother rubbing her throat gingerly. "Is it because Harry's coming round?" Molly asked with a knowing glint in her eye. _If only you knew. _She thought before nodding and faking embarrassment. Molly exclaimed in joy and wrapped her daughter in a bear hug. "Hunny. You don't need to worry about him being with anyone else, I got a letter from Hermione yesterday and she says they had no time for steamy love affairs." Ginny sniggered.

"I bet that wasn't for lack of Ron trying." Molly laughed in spite of herself and slapped Ginny jokingly on the arm. "Go on! Off flying. I'll call you in when it's time to get ready." Ginny nodded and sprinted out the creaking screen door. Her shoes slipped on the soaked decking and she collapsed onto the grass. Ginny drew in a shaking breath. The cold air seemed to fill her lungs with ice and she stood up with a moan.

The broom shed was Ginny's favourite place in the world with it's stooped door and sloped ceiling filled with spider webs and their inhabitants. She breathed in the musty air of generations of Weasley's brooms. Ginny half expected him to be standing in the shadows, his bright green eyes with a sheen of excitement and his hair cascading in uneven layers to just above his shoulders, he'd be tall and stoic, his lean athletic frame leaning against the breeze-block walls. "I know your secret." He'd whisper. Every night, wrapped in the safety of her Harpies duvet he'd appear. Every night those words were like an icy knife being plunged into her stomach. His eyes would turn a scarlet red and she'd wake up gasping. There was no sign of him today. The broom shed was completely empty. It should be expected. It was only her and Charlie at home and he didn't trust any of the Weasley's enough to put his treasured Nimbus in the communal shed. Ginny grabbed her own broomstick, an ancient Comet and shouldered it before heading outside. The rain pelted her slender frame staining her hair a dark brown, Ginny mentally cursed her stupidity and fished for her wand in the deep pocket of her sweater. After muttering a quiet incantation of a drying spell and casting a spell to make the rain bounce off her clothes. _Hermione used the same spell on Harry's glasses in 3__rd__ year. _A snide voice in the back of her head muttered and Ginny felt her shoulders slump in defeat. Ginny pinched the back of her hand, the pain distracting her out of her thoughts and straddled her polished broom. Ginny's foot plunged into the mushy ground as she set off into the dark grey sky. She tilted her broom right back into a vertical spiral. Her hair released itself from the loose pony tail and fell across her face in a tangle. Ginny reached her right hand off the broom as though she was reaching for a snitch and then flipped forwards into a Wronski Feint. The wind rushed up against her face and her robes billowed out behind her broom. At the very last moment, when the handle of her broom was skimming the grass she pulled up again in a tight turn.

CLAP.

She leveled out her broom and turned around. There he was. His hair was soaking from the rain. It was shorter than it had been at the battle. Shorter than at the funerals. At Fred's it had been curly, his skin had been waxy and his eyes sunken. At Tonks' he'd dyed it with a lime streak and it had reached his shoulders. For Remus' it was shorter than both occasions and had been lank and messy. Now it was plastered to his forehead. His skin bore a trace of the tan he'd picked up from his year living rough. He was still cut and bruised from the Final Battle. His hands, those hands that had held her while she broke down at Fred's funeral, those hands that had stroked her hair while they kissed by the lake, he clapped with those hands. "Nice dive." She dismounted and he took a step towards her. "It's a Wronski." She managed to choke out. Harry laughed and looked up at the sky. "I should know Gin. We spent 3 hours two summers ago perfecting it."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." He crinkled his brow.

"You forgot?" His tone was angry, upset. He took another step and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well sorry Harry but a lot's being going on recently." She spat out at him and he stepped back. "Ginny, I get that you're upset but I haven't seen you for a year and a half"

"You saw me last week Harry." She turned away and started to walk back towards the house. "I didn't. Not properly."

"So you didn't get to kiss me is what you mean?" She said coldly.

"No. Ginny, I love you. You are part of me, okay?" He was following her.

"NO IT ISN'T!" She yelled and he flinched but didn't stop coming towards her.

"Why?" She turned back towards him.

"You broke up with me."

"To save you."

"No, so you could save the world!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Because it's so typical you! You always have to save someone, you have to be the hero." He looked at his shoes.

"Is that what you honestly think of me?"

"Harry I'm sorry. But I'm not in a place where I need you following me around because Ron and Hermione are in Australia and you have no one to act the hero to."

"Ginny. Did you go off with someone else?" His tone is so quiet, so caring but she can feel the blood rushing in her ears. _He knows. _Ginny turned towards the house.

"Why would you think that?" She starts to walk again.

"Because you're giving me reason to!" He caught her wrist in his left and pulled her close to him. Harry pressed his lips to hers and kissed her roughly. Their closeness and the fact that he was dripping wet defeated the purpose of her rain deflecting spell. His hands were on her waist, he slowly raised one hand and cupped her chin. His eyes were closed. Hers were open.

_15 minutes earlier-_

A brief, strong, single knock sounded at the door of the Burrow. Molly Weasley bustled over to open it, there was only one person who it could be. Harry Potter. He was standing on the front step, biting his lip and playing with an envelope. His hair was short and messy, sodden wet. He was wearing a loose navy jumper and faded skinny jeans. His clothes looked slightly big on him as though he'd recently lost weight. _Of course he has! The boy has just been through battle, a year on the run and being abandoned by the two people he loves the most. _Molly reminded herself and ushered the teenager in. He was still wearing his glasses. It seemed some things never changed. "Mrs. Weasley!" He exclaimed before giving her a hug and handing her a small daisy. _Fred's favourite flower. _"Thank you dear!" She exclaimed before examining him closely. His left eye was faintly blackened, his eyes had lost their spark but were still that gorgeous green, his cheeks were hollowed out and bore a trace of stubble, his body was skinny under his clothes but still unbelievably muscled. He had become a man. Ginny would be so pleased when she saw what Harry had become. "Who's been feeding you? Or rather not feeding you?" He laughed but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Kreacher" He gave a grimace which Molly returned with a quiet laugh.

"I'll plate you up some soup." She said and prepared a bowl with a huge helping of bread and put it down in front of him at the table. She read his expression and said, "I'll keep it warm for you, do you want to go see Ginny?" He nodded and gulped. "Erm Mrs. Weasley? Is it okay if I put this envelope in Ginny's room? On her bed so she can find it when she comes home?" Mrs. Weasley inspected the thick envelope in his hands. It was obviously important. She nodded wearily and Harry took off up the stairs. He returned about a minute later looking extremely blushed. "Did Ginny leave her laundry strewed across the floor again?" Molly asked and Harry squirmed uncomfortably.

"Yeah." Molly laughed and gave the boy a gentle hug. "Oh Mrs. Weasley? If it doesn't go too good could you collect the envelope and make sure Ginny doesn't see it?" She nodded and Harry set out into the pounded downpour towards the flying figure.

Molly watched from the window as the two argued. It was obvious Ginny was yelling at him from their postures, hers tense and angry, his slumped and defeated. She made the decision to go fetch the envelope from Ginny's bedroom. The room really was a mess and it didn't take Molly long to find the source of Harry's embarrassment. A rather revealing pink bra was lying on the window sill directly opposite the door. Harry's envelope was lying on a clear space of bed. Molly picked it up and the contents fell out onto the bed with a soft _thump._ A thick letter and, and something that made her heart stop in surprise, a ring. It was a silver band with a large gem the colour of Harry's eyes and diamonds around the edge. _Oh Ginny. _Without knowing what she was doing Molly opened the letter and began to read.

**Ginny,**

**I love you, be mine? **

**I've been trying for weeks to find the perfect thing to say to you. Well, I know what to say but the real trouble is in finding a way to phrase it. And what I want to say is…..**

**WILL YOU MARRY ME? See? I said it. God, I'm rambling, sorry. It's been a year and a half since I walked away. I was so scared of hurting you. Terrified. There aren't a lot of things that I'm terrified of but hurting you is definitely up there. Maybe even no.1. Because, knowing that I was the source of any sort of pain, hurt or upset to you would destroy me. Worse than any sort of killing curse, I seem to be pretty immune to them. When you were dueling Bellatrix and when I saw that flash of green light I could have died. I nearly did. It was like someone had stabbed me, the thought of attending a funeral of the one girl who I've ever loved. And I'm sorry that I broke it off before I went on my 'camping trip' but I had to. I hope you can see that. I hope you can see that you are one of the most precious things to me. You are a part of me. Back in that chamber when you were a first year and I held your hand. The floor was ice cold. I was covered in blood. I was slowly dying. But all I couldn't feel it because you were in a worse state than me. You were the light in my heart. That was warmer than any floor, that was better than any phoenix tears, dying so you could live was a better alternative to not having you at all. When I was on the run I'd take out the Marauders Map. I'd look for that little dot labeled Ginny Weasley and I'd make sure that you were still fighting. You'd always be with Neville and that helped so much knowing that someone was looking after you when I couldn't. I love you. Ginevra Molly Weasley. It's taken me a letter to figure out a way to say this, but I want to spend the rest of my humble existence with you, becaue Gin, you are the most beautiful star in my sky, the summit of my mountain, the bottom of my ocean. My everything. Let me be yours. **

**Harry xxxxxxxxxxxx**

Molly hadn't cried for months. But now, sitting on her daughter's bed holding a letter from a boy she loved like a son it was just too much. _Don't hurt him too much Gin. Let him down nicely. _She thought**. **


	2. Chapter 2

"Shut up Ron." Hermione scalded pushing her boyfriend's leg as they crouched behind the kitchen island. "Oi!" He growled, lightly slapping the back of his hand against her thigh. "Shush!" Dean called from his position behind the leather armchair. "Shut up all of you!" Seamus hissed from behind the thick tan curtain.

"Guys! The nargles are here, listen!" Luna said dreamily from behind the door into the toilet. She actually succeeded to quiet down the teenagers for a few seconds until a new round of bickering started. "Be-um- like quiet?" Neville mumbled from his position under the coffee table. He was completely ignored. "SILENCE!' The stern voice of Professor McGonogall hushed and silence fell over the group. And so the assembled group of 20 or so kept still in their hiding positions listening to the only sound, which was of their rising and falling breath.

They were caught off guard when the door slammed open and a soaked Harry Potter stormed into Grimmauld Place. Ron prepared himself to stand up and yell 'surprise' when he felt Hermione's grip on his forearm. He looked down surprised and she shook her head slowly. Ron sunk back onto the floor. Everyone else in the room seemed to be on Hermione's wavelength and remained hidden also. There was a strange choking sound coming from Harry's general direction. _He was crying. _ Hermione realised with a jolt. _Something bad must have happened. _Hermione racked her brains. _Harry had only cried when Sirius had died, when Dobby had died, when Dumbledore died and after the battle. _This was a private sort of cry. Harry collapsed onto the couch and murmured a quick _Accio _which sent a large bottle of whisky flying in his direction along with a single dusty glass.

They watched as the 19 year old celebrated his 19th birthday by downing the whole bottle within a few minutes. He had stopped crying. Harry stood up and inhaled a shuddering breath before striding purposefully across to back door where he grabbed his broom and slammed the door shut behind him.

Harry felt the rush of cold air greet him on the back step. It was unusually cold for July, there was a light drizzle that settled on his clothes. He was already far too wet and cold to notice anything. He felt numb from head-to-toe.

_**30 minutes before**_

"Harry." Ginny sighed pushing her hands against his forearms so that she could see his whole face. "Just get off me." He blinked stupidly. She rolled her eyes and took a step back from him. Harry went to take another step. He was stopped by an invisible barrier that snapped his head back. He looked confused until he spotted her wand in her right hand. Ginny's knuckles were white from clutching her wand so tightly. It was just a simple shield charm keeping them apart. "I love you?" He tried. The shield charm gave Harry a slightly blurred appearance and made his voice sound far away. "Ginny, put the shield down. We can talk this through." He was rubbing his forehead in the way he'd done since he was 1, ever since he'd gotten his scar. "No." He tilted his head as though he hadn't heard her. "Huh?" He shouted back. She just shook her head and his face fell. The light went out in his emerald eyes. The corners of his lips turned down sourly. His forehead crinkled. He was still blinking. "Ginny!" He shouted. She flinched as he fell to his knees. "Marry me?" He asked. He wasn't on one knee. He was on both, practically bowing in desperation. "No." This time Harry heard. It felt as though a welling wave of pain flooded his body and he collapsed. He was spread eagled. His pleading bright eyes still trained on hers. "Harry?" He gave a twitch of his head in response. "It was-" She took a shaky breath. "Neville." As she walked away, the mud squelching and her feet thudding out what seemed to sound like the word, Cheater. Over and over again.

_**Present Time**_

The wind whistled past his ear and he could feel his blood pounding in his ears. The solitary blackbird in the small back garden seemed to squawking out _Cheater. _ The wind seemed to be whispering _Neville. _Harry pulled himself up into a spiral before diving. _Happy 19__th__ Birthday Harry. _He thought bitterly as he dismounted. Rather than clearing his head like flying normally did he was more confused than ever. _Why Neville? Was Neville better looking? More intelligent? Was Neville the savior of the Wizarding world? Had Neville nearly died protecting her in the Chamber of Secrets? Had Harry dumped her for a selfish reason? _Harry shook his head. He knew such thoughts were harmful and masochistic, but he was gaining some sort of sick pleasure from making himself hurt inside. He shoved his broom roughly against the brick wall of No. 12 Grimmauld Place and stepped back inside.

A pair of navy eyes swam in front of his eyes. A mess of dark brown hair and pale freckled skin. _ Neville. _Without even thinking Harry swung his fist up into Neville's jaw. He felt a satisfying _crack _and grabbed the front of Neville's t-shirt with his outstretched hand before slamming his other fist into Neville's nose. Then again, and again. It was on the fifth punch that someone grabbed him around the waist and pulled him away from the bloody teenager. "Harry, what the hell?" Ron exclaimed loudly wrestling his best friend away from Neville. "Him-" Harry panted. "And Ginny." It only took those three words before Ron had landed a punch on Neville knocking him backwards with the force of Ron's anger. Neville finally collapsed under the force of the angered black haired and red haired boys. Someone screamed, "Protego!" And a barrier sprung up between Neville and the others. Professor McGonogall took a tight hold on the back of Harry and Ron's robes. "Explain." She growled in a low voice and both boys simultaneously gulped.

"He got together with Ginny while we were away fighting horcruxes." Harry gulped. "My little sister!" Ron whined placing his head in his hands.

"I asked Ginny to marry me." Harry confessed quietly and Ron and Professor McGonogall looked up surprised. "She wouldn't even look at me. It was because of him." Harry felt a tear escape the welled up bank across his bottom lashes. "He was my friend. She was my girlfriend and now I have neither of them." Ron bristled angrily at his best friends words. "Yeah! How dare they!" Ron exclaimed slapping his fist into his cupped hand. Harry opened his mouth then stopped. "What are you doing here Ron? I thought you were in Australia?" Ron laughed and slapped his best friend roughly on the back. "Nah just a rouse mate! Like we'd miss your birthday!" Harry laughed for the first time that day and pumped fists with his best friend. "Ahem." Professor McGonogall called with raised eyebrows. The grins slipped off the teenagers faces and they returned to their previously sober expressions. "Still, I cannot have either of you beating up Neville Longbottom!" She exclaimed in an unusually shrill voice and rested her head in her hands. The two teens shared an alarmed expression before sliding onto the couch on either side of her. "Hey, Professor McGonogall it'll-"

"Be okay."

"Of course, we're-"

"Really sorry." Ron finished and Professor McGonogall gave a low laugh.

"Oh hush you two. I'm fine. Just think before you start attacking others."  
>"Promise. " Harry said and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. The Professor raised her eyebrow again and Harry wrinkled his nose. "Completely inappropriate?" He asked quietly.<p>

"Totally." McGonogall replied and Ron barked with laughter.

"C'mon. It'll all be okay." Ron prompted.


End file.
